“Yes, winning is important,” he said. “Now contrast that if you’re a win-at-all-cost program which we’re not and I’ve said many, many times we’re not, then you don’t worry about the academics, you don’t worry about the conduct, you just win.

“And you know what? When I arrived here 10 years ago, that’s not what the leaders wanted at the time and certainly that’s certainly not what we’ve delivered.

“Yes, we want to win. Yes, it’s a priority. Yes, it eats us up from the inside that we don’t win more.”

Statements like these are actually a sure sign that he is feeling some heat and might be in a bit of trouble. He is creating a false dichotomy and narrative. You're either satisfied with the job Jeff Long is doing, or you're a win at all costs mercenary. There is no in between. As such he is insulating himself from being pushed out because no one in the administration wants to be seen being in favor of sleeze.

Jeff Long is setting himself up as a martyr for integrity in college athletics.

If they want to turn Arkansas into Vanderbilt where we have a good season once every 10 years then fine, but why are they asking for so much money? What's the point of donating thousands of dollars for the right to buy a ticket to watch a game where the University doesn't even support being competitive in the conference? Why are we in the SEC?

I don't think any of us want to be in the Ole Miss situation but football is a game of inches and a win at all costs type of sport. If you aren't willing to get near the thin line then you will never be able to win a conference championship much less a national championship. Their mind set is very confusing to me.

This does explain though the lack of tenacity over the past few years. We aren't setup to win anything now or in the future.

There is no dichotomy here. A win at all costs school does not care much about academics and behavior. A win, but not at all costs, school cares about winning, but won't cheat or cut corners unethically to win. Neither ignores winning.

There is no dichotomy here. A win at all costs school does not care much about academics and behavior. A win, but not at all costs, school cares about winning, but won't cheat or cut corners unethically to win. Neither ignores winning.

If you guys and gals are the type to bitch about college players wanting to get paid and make the argument that they're "student" athletes... then you shouldn't be upset by what Long is saying. You can't have your cake and eat it too. At the end of the day, the kids are students and there are barometers for success within NCAA programs and institutions of higher learning that take academics into account. If you got a problem with that, then you've either got to go watch the NFL or be rooting for college football teams to ditch academics and become semi-pro teams.

There is no dichotomy here. A win at all costs school does not care much about academics and behavior. A win, but not at all costs, school cares about winning, but won't cheat or cut corners unethically to win. Neither ignores winning.

Don't kid yourself here, every school in the SEC cheats and cuts corners.. some are better at it than others. Some are so desperate that they get really stupid like Ole Miss and they go to far. It's about walking a line, you don't put together a program like Alabama without cutting a few corners.

There is no dichotomy here. A win at all costs school does not care much about academics and behavior. A win, but not at all costs, school cares about winning, but won't cheat or cut corners unethically to win. Neither ignores winning.

I don't know why people have such a hard time understanding this.

Ole Miss decided to cheat to "win at all costs." Long is saying Arkansas is not going to do that.

Statements like these are actually a sure sign that he is feeling some heat and might be in a bit of trouble. He is creating a false dichotomy and narrative. You're either satisfied with the job Jeff Long is doing, or you're a win at all costs mercenary. There is no in between. As such he is insulating himself from being pushed out because no one in the administration wants to be seen being in favor of sleeze.

Jeff Long is setting himself up as a martyr for integrity in college athletics.

Don't kid yourself here, every school in the SEC cheats and cuts corners.. some are better at it than others. Some are so desperate that they get really stupid like Ole Miss and they go to far. It's about walking a line, you don't put together a program like Alabama without cutting a few corners.

I never said they don't. I said being a school that isn't cut-throat does not mean Arkansas under Long doesnt care at all about winning. So many coaches and so many programs do cheat that hiring a coach who tries to avoid doing so puts you at a disadvantage. But if you are that kind of school under that kind of administration, you keep trying without violating the principle you adhere to.

Funny how things have changed. Remember the "answer the call" campaign during the Petrino years? I sort of fretted about the big bump in prices...but for winning 10 or 11 games per year and being in the top 10 on a regular basis I was all for it.

Now our answer the call is about integrity and graduating players. Pure awesomeness.

Ole Miss decided to cheat to "win at all costs." Long is saying Arkansas is not going to do that.

It's not really that people don't understand this. The great majority just don't believe in having a clean program. They're okay with clean as long as clean wins championships (which it usually doesn't) or comes real close. But when clean fails, they want dirty.

So then the rest of the SEC is also failing and should be firing all of their coaches because Bama has won the SEC 3 years in a row.

Yep.

Ole Miss was obviously win at all cost.MSU is just as bad as Ole Miss... just haven't been "caught" yet.Sumlin's gonna be out on his ass sooner than later.LSU is swimming in talent, so I'm not sure there.Bama and AU are both extremely dirty.

It's not really that people don't understand this. The great majority just don't believe in having a clean program. They're okay with clean as long as clean wins championships (which it usually doesn't) or comes real close. But when clean fails, they want dirty.

That's bunk.

What we have is an administration that rewards people for their affability, and not their performance. Why, on this good earth, did Long construct such a one-sided buyout after only the second year? His results on the field did not warrant such protection. It points to the principle that Long doesn't care about winning records. He is just swell dandy fine with a mediocre coach and team.

Ole Miss was obviously win at all cost.MSU is just as bad as Ole Miss... just haven't been "caught" yet.Sumlin's gonna be out on his ass sooner than later.LSU is swimming in talent, so I'm not sure there.Bama and AU are both extremely dirty.

The West is cutthroat, man. No place for nice guys.

You're not wrong there. Les Miles got forced out for winning 8-9 games.

We've had a prick and we've had a nice guy, and we still can't beat Bama or go back to Atlanta.

Obviously that TCU game was hot garbage, but I'm still giving CBB the chance to get this season back on track. I know a lot of folks here will be mad at 8 wins, but I won't be mad, just disappointed we couldn't win some other games. If we don't win 8 with this roster and this schedule, though, then I'm all for getting rid of him.

Every program in the SEC that beats us on a regular basis - that's the picture Long is trying to paint.We are the only program doing things the "right way" - everyone else is dirty.If he can make the fans buy into it - then it's a convenient excuse for losing.

Every program in the SEC that beats us on a regular basis - that's the picture Long is trying to paint.We are the only program doing things the "right way" - everyone else is dirty.If he can make the fans buy into it - then it's a convenient excuse for losing.

Right on. If he doesn't convince people of this then he will have to face the fire over the buyout in Bielema's contract.

What we have is an administration that rewards people for their affability, and not their performance. Why, on this good earth, did Long construct such a one-sided buyout after only the second year? His results on the field did not warrant such protection. It points to the principle that Long doesn't care about winning records. He is just swell dandy fine with a mediocre coach and team.

Why is Matthew Stafford, a guy who has played 8 full seasons in the NFL and is 0-3 in the playoffs, the highest paid player in the League?

You're not wrong there. Les Miles got forced out for winning 8-9 games.

We've had a prick and we've had a nice guy, and we still can't beat Bama or go back to Atlanta.

Obviously that TCU game was hot garbage, but I'm still giving CBB the chance to get this season back on track. I know a lot of folks here will be mad at 8 wins, but I won't be mad, just disappointed we couldn't win some other games. If we don't win 8 with this roster and this schedule, though, then I'm all for getting rid of him.

Miles averaged like 10.8 wins per year at LSU.

Unfortunately he rode the Cam Cameron train wreck offense right down to his dismissal. I'll never understand it.

If winning isn't priority number one, why invest an absorbent amount of money on a head coach at all? Why not promote from the ranks of a local high schools to act as coach/counselors and just trot good kids out there to get their brains bashed in by other actual football players?

I just read that Bielema's contract package is the 7th highest valued in the country currently. If winning isn't important, what's the point?